Sweeny Murti Talks Yankees' Hot Topics With Francesa
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Sweeny Murti joined Mike Francesa on Thursday afternoon to talk Yankees' burning topics.
The Yankees could possibly have a tricky situation on their hands after Derek Jeter's contract expires after the 2013 season. Jeter has a player option of $8 million for 2014. He can elect to exercise the option or receive a $3 million buyout.
"His contract is going to be an issue in 12 months," Murti stated.
If Jeter has a huge 2013 season, he could pursue a longer-term deal.
Alex Rodriguez has five years remaining on his contract and is coming off a horrendous 2013 postseason where he was benched by manager Joe Girardi.
"There's no way to justify that contract anymore," Francesa declared.
A-Rod fit .120 in the playoffs and did not record an RBI. He struck out 12 times in 7 games and scored one run.
Murti believes the Yankees have challenged A-Rod's ego.
"They've challenged him," Murti said. "He's had guys kiss his butt his entire career. It came to a point where they finally said to him -- you're not that good right now."
Ichiro Suzuki has expressed a strong interest in remaining with the Yankees. Murti feels that the Yankees are high on Ichiro, but will also explore other options.
"I think it's a possibility," he said. "They're going to be talking to people and they might have deals available to them, I don't think they're locked-in to Ichiro."
Russell Martin has drawn considerable interest from many teams, most notably the Pittsburgh Pirates. Francesa asked Murti if the Yankees are going to sign Martin.
"I think it's a fight with Pittsburgh," Murti said about the Yankees' chances of keeping Martin.
Francesa asked Murti about Nick Swisher's future. Swisher's time with the Yankees has come to an end, but he remains a hot free agent commodity for many teams including some of the Yankees' rivals.
"I think he's got some interest from teams like Boston, San Francisco -- I was curious about Baltimore. He's always hit well in that ballpark," Murti replied.
"Wherever Josh Hamilton doesn't go -- the next best outfielder in this market is Nick Swisher," he stated.
Rafael Soriano opted out of his contract with the Yankees. It appears that the Detroit Tigers are a likely fit for Soriano. Francesa asked Murti if Soriano is on his way to Detroit.
"I think that's a good possibility," Murti replied.
Sweeny said Mariano Rivera will return to the Yankees "by the end of the week" for "about $15 million."
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